The One Point

What is Hull Broadband?It is a premium Symmetrical Broadband service aimed at the business and residential users delivered over a fixed radio (wireless) link. It fills the gap between low quality business ADSL broadband and leased lines.

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How is Hull Broadband different?An ordinary broadband connection has a slower upload speed than download speed, even an 8Mbs ADSL landline service may only deliver up to 256kbs upload. These 'Asymmetrical' services are designed to meet the requirements of a home user requiring a low cost means of browsing the Internet; it does not meet the needs of a modern business. Broadband services are also subject to the quoted bandwidth being shared between a number of users usually 50:1. Our Hull Broadband services have a managed bandwidth which equates to a much lower contention ratio making it ideal where a number of networked PCs have access to the Internet and/or Email.

This service will allow users to:
·    Connect multiple PCs to the internet
·    Send and receive large files or data
·    Host their own email, extranet or web servers (QuickBIZ Products)
·    Connect business sites and home workers using VPN
·    Backup data off-site
·    Facilitate streaming video for security and conferencing etc.
·    Facilitate VoIP applications

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How is the service received at my premises?The service is delivered over radio using an externally mounted antenna on your premises. This antenna is fitted by an engineer during the installation process.

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What are the key benefits of the service?Key benefits include:
·    Send as well as receive Emails and files quickly and efficiently
·    Faster Internet browsing
·    Free up or do away with your landline telephone line

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What is included in the service?The key features of the service are:
·    Always-on Internet connection
·    Fast Download and Upload speeds
·    Static IP address
·    Engineer install of radio equipment

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Do I need a telephone line to receive this service?No. The service is delivered over separate radio technology so there is no requirement to have a telephone line at all to receive the service.

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Does the service affect the use of my phone line in any way?No. The service is provided independent of your telephone line so when you're on the Internet you can continue to use your telephone as normal.

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If my premises are in a serviceable area will I definitely be able to receive the service?A line of sight is required from your premesis to one of our transmission stations, therefore it is impossible to guarantee that service can be received in any particular location. For this reason service is offered on a 'subject to survey' basis. On the day of installation our engineers will endeavour to provide service where possible, but there will be some premises where viable service installation is not achievable.

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What happens on the day of installation?On the day of installation an engineer will call at your premises to carry out a survey. If a suitable radio signal can be received they will then complete the installation of the equipment and commission the service. You will be able to gain access to the Internet immediately.

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What equipment will be installed at my premises?On the outside of your premises we will install a small radio antenna which communicates with a local transmission station to send and receive from. The antenna is then connected via a single cable to a small indoor unit inside your premises. The indoor unit connects to the mains power and provides the data connection to your computer or network.

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Can I decide where the antenna is mounted?Typically, the antenna will need to be placed facing towards one our transmission stations but our engineer will endeavour to put it where it is least obvious. The final location will be at our engineer's discretion to achieve the strongest signal and thus the best quality of service.

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What will the equipment look like?The antenna (pictured below) is approximately 33cm high x 17cm wide x 10cm deep.
The indoor unit is about the size and shape of a single mains socket.
Connector

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Will I need planning permission to have the antenna installed at my premises?It is not generally necessary to obtain planning permission to install the small radio antenna on your premises, however if you suspect that planning permission will be required for your premises it is your responsibility to inform us at the time of placing the order and this must have been achieved prior to fitting.

Examples of where planning permission may be required are: Listed Buildings, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Sites of Special Scientific Interest, Conservation Areas, Historic Parks and Nature Reserves. IE: where planning permission is required to fit a Sky dish.

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What if I do not own the premises?If you do not own the premises it is your responsibility to obtain your landlord's permission for the antenna to be installed. Furthermore you will need to ensure that any necessary access via neighbouring properties is agreed in advance of the installation date.

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What network connection and cabling is provided?The indoor unit provides a single 10/100 Base-T Ethernet port which can be used to connect either directly to your PC or to a router (wireless or otherwise). A 3m crossover CAT5 cable is provided on installation to enable you to connect the service to your PC immediately. If an alternative cable or cable length is required this should be purchased separately.

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What is the minimum computer specification required?The specification below is a mimimum to enable connectivity but we do strongly recommended a higher specification in order to take full advantage of Hull broadband's performance benefits.

For PC:
Pentium II 300 MHz (CPU)
64MB (Memory)
Ethernet Port
40 MB available hard disk or more
A compatible Operating System
Typically: Windows 98SE, Windows 2000, Windows XP or Windows ME

For Mac:
PowerPC G3 300Mhz (CPU)
64MB (Memory)
Ethernet port
40 MB available on hard disk drive or more
A compatible Operating System
Typically Mac OS 8.6, 9.0, X

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What if I do not have an Ethernet port on my computer?Ethernet ports are present on a large number of computers but where this capability is not supported a plug in card/adapter can be used to provide it. These may be PCI internal cards for desktops, plug in PCMCIA cards for laptops, or USB adapters, these can be purchased for a modest price from a wide range of outlets.

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Is the radio connection as reliable as wired connections?The service has been designed and built using state of the art Wimax technology to provide reliability equivalent to wired services. The Hull Broadband network is also monitored to ensure that service is maintained and that any faults are addressed as soon as they arise.

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Is the connection secure?Yes. The design of the service incorporates a number of advanced security mechanisms so that you can have confidence that the service has an appropriate level of security and cannot be accessed by unauthorised equipment. As with all Internet access services, however, it is your own responsibility to take the appropriate steps to secure your own computer data using applications such as firewalls.

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So I get a great Internet connection ... What else do I get from Hull Broadband?As part of the service you will be given a free hullbroadband.com e-mail address.
Your access details will be sent along with your welcome pack.

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